Have you heard that Insurgent is in theaters? If not, you must be hiding under a rock. I’m really excited about the movie. I’m hoping to go see it tomorrow. New director, more extensive cast and promising trailers of serious special effects have been teasing me for the past six months.
I’ve been reading some reviews and getting some mixed messages so you may want to catch up on your reading before you head to the movies. To prepare us for the movie going experience, I’m reviewing the book. And if you still want to be segmented, please feel free to take my Faction Sorting Quiz.
The Story
SPOILER ALERT – Not from the book’s perspective, but from the movie’s for sure.
Insurgent is the second installment of Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series. It picks up where Divergent
In Amity Tris and the rest of the Divergent and Abnegation are able to regroup and come up with a plan of action. But their peaceful existence within the utopian-like Amity is short lived as they are not interested in getting involved in the conflict unless absolutely necessary.
Their next stop is Candor where the faction reluctantly takes in de-programmed Dauntless, Divergent and some Factionless. Candor is willing to accept the new recruits as long as they are willing to undergo the “Truth” serum test. Remember, in Candor, honesty is the most valued attribute.
Here the Dauntless get more organized and try to convince Candor to join the crowd. They are reluctant because like Amity, they rely on Erudite for some of their technology, including their precious truth serum. But the leader of Candor agrees to meet with the leader of Erudite to figure out a resolution.
The Dauntless eventually take back their fortress from those they now refer to as the Dauntless Traitors. It comes at a cost though and Jeanine is still able to pull the strings of those susceptible to the simulation serums. After one of Tris’ friends commits suicide under a hallucination, Tris agrees to forfeit herself to Erudite in order to avoid any more deaths.
Jeanine locks Tris up and tries different formulas of her simulation serum in order to observe how Tris operates within them. While the hallucinations themselves are fascinating to Jeanine, she is unable to find a serum that can completely control Tris. The bigger surprise is that Tris finds her brother at Jeanine’s side.
When it seems as if Jeanine is ready to go ahead and kill Tris, Peter rescues her and Four as a payback for when Tris saved his life.
Upon returning the Abnegation section of town, Tris learns from Marcus that Jeanine has some stolen information that needs to be leaked to the rest of the factions. Tris and a group of her friends attempt to break in to the Erudite headquarters and retrieve the information.
Upon their return, Evelyn denounces the factions and announces that the society will now have a factionless government. But Four and Caleb were able to retrieve the information that Jeanine housed on her computer and it is a video with a specific message that could change everything.
The Review
A lot happens in this novel. There is constant action and excitement at every turn. It breaks your heart when a few of your favorite characters become wounded or maimed due to the violence that has erupted. I also like that you can never quite tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Four and Tris are good. Max and Jeanine are good. The rest have their moments of doubt as to which side they are actually playing for.
Overall this book did a great job of absolutely destroying the world that Book 1, Divergent, created for us. In one short frame of time the every-so organized society has fallen and there are definite shifts in power at hand within the city walls.
Tris really comes into her own in this book. She makes decisions that will affect her character for the rest of her life. She acknowledges the Abnegation in her that would have her sacrifice her own life for the greater good and is comfortable with that part of herself. She also acknowledges the Dauntless in her that is brave and a bit reckless.
Four also comes into his own as well. He is reconciled with his mother whom he mourned as a child when he believed she had passed. He comes to an understanding with his abusive father and begins to understand the motivation behind his actions. And his relationship with Tris continues its turmoil as he sees her as continually putting herself in danger without thoughts of consequence.
I give it 4 Stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book and wants to keep the action going. Also, I recommend the series to anyone who has enjoyed other YA dystopian novels such as The Giver
Are you planning on seeing Insurgent in theatres this weekend? If so, have you already read the novel? Leave me your thoughts on the book and/or movie below.
